A need for RNs: Heading off the nursing shortageBy Dorothy L. Tengler Despite the chatter about a nursing shortage, registered nurses are near the top of the list when it comes to employment growth, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In the past decade, the average age of employed RNs has increased by nearly two years, from 42.7 years in 2000 to 44.6 years. Although nurses are choosing to continue working rather than retire, the United States will need to produce 1.1 million newly registered nurses by 2022 to fill jobs and replace those who finally do retire.

Ebola ResourcesWe would like to share the most updated information on Ebola so that you can continue educating the public while taking the necessary precautions in your workplace. Please visit www.aznurse.org for daily updates.

Five out of 30 Senatorial districts had unopposed races. Eight out of 30 House districts had unopposed races. AzNA PAC endorsed 19 Senate candidates and 18 won. AzNA PAC endorsed 34 House candidates and 26 won. Arizona has 30 Senators and 60 Representatives. Several races were very close. In the District #9 House race Randall Orr (R) lost to Randy Friese(D) by 127 votes. AzNA had endorsed both of these candidates.

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'Electing Arizona legislators who demonstrate awareness of nursing's needs'With some ballots still uncounted, not all of the General Election races held on Nov. 4 can be called with confidence. Please see the AzNA Elections page for an unofficial report of how our AzNA PAC endorsed candidates fared. To learn how close some races are, see this Secretary of State site. Official results will be announced on Dec. 1.

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AzNA supported winning proposition 480Read about the AzNA Board of Director’s support for this investment in the Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS). It was approved by Maricopa County Voters by a large margin. The proposition will support first responders, the Arizona Burn Center, critical behavioral health needs and the ongoing mission of MIHS to teach future nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals in the community.

Health insurance marketplace open enrollment began Nov. 15Go straight to the government website using the headline link. For more comprehensive information and links see the AzNA Medicaid Information page, here.

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Join nurses who make a difference at the legislatureThe AzNA Public Policy committee is open to members who are interested in serving nurses by working very hard for a few weeks on a virtual committee. In exchange, you will get to review and assess new bills as they are proposed at the Arizona legislature and join in discussions about how AzNA should respond. This is a unique service/learning opportunity. Denise G. Link, Ph.D., NP, FAAN, FAANP chairs this committee. She invites interested persons to contact her at info@aznurse.org. Please indicate “Public Policy Committee” in the subject line.

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EDUCATIONAL EVENTS & RESEARCH

American Red Cross Blood Drive for the Holiday SeasonThe American Red Cross asks eligible donors to make an appointment to give blood to help ensure sufficient blood supplies are available for patients this holiday season.

Blood donations often decline during the holidays when donors get busy with travel and family gatherings, but the need for blood remains steady. Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds.

The Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet (with an Arizona Twist!)The University of Arizona is hosting a conference in January in Tucson featuring international speakers from France, Spain and Greece, celebrity chefs and more! The Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet (with an Arizona Twist!) will be held Jan. 28-30, 2015 at the University of Arizona in Tucson. For more information, please click here.

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Foundations of Faith Community Nursing CourseCongregational Health Services at Duet will be having their Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Course March 9-13, 2015, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 8051 East Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85710. The Basic Preparation Course for Faith Community Nurses will empower nurses to combine their professional skills with faith values to promote healing, health and wellness in a congregational setting.

Individual nurse performance linked to outcomesMedscape (free login required)Researchers using electronic health record (EHR) and human resources data have demonstrated that individual nurses can measurably affect patient outcomes, according to results of a study published online Sept. 25 in Health Services Research.
Traditionally, the value of nursing practice to outcomes has been measured collectively by hospital or care unit or by ratios of nurses to patients.

When patients don't follow upThe New York TimesPatients frequently miss appointments and tests that their healthcare providers schedule. No-show rates range from 5 to 55 percent. In some instances, like when a patient skips a cardiac stress test, for example, then has a heart attack, the hospital might classify what occurred as a "systems error." Ideally, such cases lead to new policies that prevent similar events. But what about less drastic cases, in which follow-up is necessary but not an emergency? Should patients be held responsible for not showing up? Or does the medical profession have an ethical and legal duty to try to track down the individuals?

Disparities in cervical cancer show education is still neededBy Jessica TaylorThe Affordable Care Act requires health insurers to provide all cancer screenings for free, with no charge to the patient. If this is the case, why are a majority of women still not getting screened for cervical cancer? The American Cancer Society estimates that 12,360 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed and 4,020 women will die from cervical cancer this year. A recent study from the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention showed that more than half of women diagnosed with cervical cancer had never or rarely been screened.

New EHR vendors and technology needed for continued innovationBy Scott E. RuppIn the span of the last five years, use and implementation of electronic health records in the U.S. has dramatically accelerated because of federal mandates and financial incentives directly related the meaningful use program. Because of these efforts, as well as time and resources invested by healthcare providers, electronic health records are more popular than at any point in the past and are now "the heart of health IT," according to research firm Frost & Sullivan.

Hand-hygiene compliance drops at the end of shiftsFierceHealthcareHospital workers are less likely to wash their hands toward the end of their shifts, according to new research that suggests the lack of compliance is due to fatigue from the demands of the job. Researchers, led by Hengchen Dai, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed three years of hand-washing data from more than 4,000 caregivers in 35 hospitals across the U.S. They discovered hand-washing compliance rates dropped an average of 8.7 percentage points from the beginning to the end of a typical 12-hour shift, according to the study, published by the American Psychological Association.

Nurses play vital role in care of terminally ill patientsMedical XpressA University of Queensland study has found nurses play a crucial role in decisions surrounding treatment of terminally ill patients.
UQ School of Social Science Associate Professor Alex Broom said dying patients who were told further treatment would be futile often turned to nurses for emotional support.
"The transition to end-of-life care has traditionally been the doctor's decision," Dr. Broom said.

Estrogen may protect heart by inhibiting mineralocorticoidMedPage TodayEstrogen inhibition of a key receptor that helps regulate blood pressure may be a new mechanism by which premenopausal women are protected from cardiovascular disease, researchers reported. Findings from in vitro investigations published in the November issue of the journal Endocrinology suggest that estrogen signaling through the estrogen receptor protects the circulatory system by inhibiting the detrimental effects of the steroid hormone aldosterone signaling through the mineralocorticoid receptor.

Recommendations for prevention and control of influenza in children, 2014-2015American Academy of PediatricsThe purpose of this statement is to update recommendations for routine use of seasonal influenza vaccine and antiviral medications for the prevention and treatment of influenza in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends annual seasonal influenza immunization for all people 6 months and older, including all children and adolescents.

It's a great time to be a registered nurseAOL JobsIt's a great time to get into the nursing, but where, exactly, are you supposed to begin? Like most healthcare jobs, nursing positions require specialized training and degrees, but it's never too late to get started. Want an idea of what the various types of nursing degrees out there will get you in terms of salary and hiring prospects? Simmons College's School of Nursing put together a detailed chart, which breaks down the many paths available to RNs, and what you need to do to embark on the one that's right for you.

Migraine pain relief heading toward future of nasal sprayMedical DailyA migraine is much more than a severe headache. It is a syndrome characterized by debilitating neurological symptoms that can make even seeing a problem. Researchers who made a presentation at the 2014 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego have revealed a nasal spray treatment for migraines derived from prochlorperazine, FDA-approved medication that is used to treat severe nausea and vomiting.

Nurse-led counseling improved cardiac screening in cancer survivorsCancer NetworkMore than twice as many cancer survivors at risk for cardiomyopathy underwent screening for the condition when exposed to advanced-practice nurse telephone counseling compared with survivors who received standard care, results of a new study show. “A distance-delivered intervention that included two brief telephone counseling sessions conducted by an advanced-practice nurse significantly increased the likelihood of cardiomyopathy screening among at-risk survivors of childhood cancer,” wrote Melissa M. Hudson, M.D., of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Children born to mothers with RA more likely to be born earlyFamily Practice NewsChildren born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to be born prematurely and have a lower birth weight than are those born to mothers without the condition, according to a Danish nationwide cohort study. The reduction in fetal growth, however, is small — a mean difference of 87 g — and unlikely to have any impact on the well being of the child, Ane Rom of Copenhagen University Hospital and her colleagues reported in Arthritis & Rheumatology.